Oklahoma IT engineer spent more than 7 years building a 74-foot DIY sailboat before attempting to sail it all the way to Ireland

An Oklahoma IT engineer spent more than seven years in his front yard building a 74-foot steel DIY sailboat from scratch after leaving his tech career behind.

He welded, wired, and shaped every piece by hand using salvaged parts, recycled steel, and donated materials.

Volunteers from around the world showed up to help him turn his suburban yard into a working shipyard.

And after seven years of hard work, he attempted to sail the homemade vessel across the Atlantic to Ireland.

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From IT engineer to shipbuilder

Doug Jackson, a retired Oracle database administrator from Tulsa, Oklahoma, decided that taking it easy after retirement wasn’t for him.

So, instead of slowing down, he set out to build a 74-foot twin-keeled DIY steel sailboat called SV Seeker right in his front yard.

What started as a personal challenge quickly turned into a global community project.

His project attracted hundreds of volunteers, including welders, engineers, and artists, who came from all over the world to lend a hand.

The project took more than seven years to complete and cost around $350,000, much of which came through donations and repurposed parts.

Every detail of the Seeker told a story.

Its masts were made from utility poles, its 210-horsepower engine came from an old school bus, and its deck was finished with wood flooring made from leftover scraps.

Even the support beams were decorated with hand-cut mermaid designs.

A 74-foot DIY sailboat with a purpose

The SV Seeker was never meant to be a luxury yacht like the ones you see scattered across the bays of Monaco.

Jackson built it to serve as a free research vessel for scientists, divers, and archaeologists who needed access to open water.

His goal was to create a space for exploration and discovery that anyone could use.

Once completed, the enormous boat was mounted on custom-built axles and hauled 15 miles to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa before being launched.

From there, Jackson set off on his long journey downriver, with the goal of reaching Ireland in his DIY sailboat.

And thanks to years of hard work, he did it, successfully sailing across the Atlantic and docking in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland.

From a quiet neighbourhood in Oklahoma to the harbours of Europe, Doug Jackson proved that with patience, and a lot of welding, even the biggest dreams are achievable.

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